Programs Disappearing on Windows 7 ?

Jonesy · 10 Nov 2010

Hello, this is really starting to irritate me now , the other day my laptop was turned off and left over night , the next morning i came to my laptop and installed a program, this program was no use to me so i un-installed it , left my laptop again and restarted it later on after turning it off to find that all my programs that i had installed had gone, just disappeared, not in program files,start menu, no short cuts nothing , i have done a system restore to the last available which was before the installation of the program.

please i really would like to know how to solve this as all my programs keep un-install them selves every boot up , im runny windows 7 64 bit and the program was 'Hmointor' for temperature test , it was just a mess around and now after this all my programs keep disappearing.

all help is EXTREMELY appreciated.

Thanks in advance, Jonesy;D

WindowsStar · 10 Nov 2010

How are you logging in? Are you using a guest account? When you install software do you use the "Run as Administrator" to do the install??

Jonesy · 10 Nov 2010

>1< ,oh no im just very new first time on here and this is the only place to turn to (other than a complete W7 reinstall) great forum by the way, anyway

>2< i am the administrator,all my programs have been 'un-installed' , and any programs that need administrator pass have the authority, and im figuring its this program that has caused it but i dont know how to fix it ,thanks for you time ,very appreciated.

WindowsStar · 10 Nov 2010

What software do you have installed on the machine?

Jonesy · 10 Nov 2010

The software that was on my machine was this

GE(giants editor)

Winrar

HP solution Centre

HP Wireless Assistant

HP Advice centre

ATI drivers

Notepad ++

Blender

Google Sketchup

also i get 'tray app' problem on start up for HP digital imaging,

NOTE-- just found that all programs still existant in program files are set as short cuts ( found this in google sketch-up)

Thank you for you help.

WindowsStar · 10 Nov 2010

Ok, I may have mis-understanding part of this. You don't have much installed on the machine which is good, but you are saying there is supposed to be more installed and you are not seeing it??? So it became un-installed without you un-installing it??

Jonesy · 10 Nov 2010

Right im back again and cant install MSN or AVG , AVG is visible in add or remove programs and when i run installer nothing appears and in task manger it says 'AVG un-installer' also MSN is not visible in the add or remove programs but when i try to re-install windows live essentials and it says MSN is already installed, i dont mind how its done i just want these two programs gone so i can install them from scratch

all else is fixed and it was a virus

thank you for your time and im sorry to pester would be great for any help given ,thanks in advance

Jones;D

WindowsStar · 10 Nov 2010

Are you by chance installing as "Administrator" but then logging in as say "Jones", then finding the program is not installed?? In other words are you installing software as one account but then logging in as another user?

Would you be able to provide screen shots of the installed software from say ORB (start), All Programs and from the "Add or Remove" Programs?? Thanks.

Squatch · 02 Sep 2015

This worked for someone I know that had the problem.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2603415

Also, the article does not mention that all the files under C:\ProgramData (<--this is a hidden file) were also somehow changed to hidden. Normally, all the files and sub-folders are not-hidden (well the overwhelmingly majority of them). Just letting everyone know. Hope this helps!

Programs Disappearing on Windows 7 ?

Programs Disappearing on Windows 7 ?

Restore missing files from "all programs" list